Backroom: Butterfly Pinning

The Chicago Athletic Association hotel, The Field Museum, Johalla Projects and Land and Sea Dept. are excited to announce the opening of The Backroom – a pop-up bar experience opening on Saturday, February 25, in the hotel’s ground floor Tank space (formerly the Chicago Athletic Association’s pool). The bar will be open on Friday and Saturday nights from 5pm – midnight through March 25.

Following last summer’s Cherry Circle Yacht Club pop-up bar, The Backroom will celebrate Specimens: Unlocking the Secrets of Life, an upcoming special exhibition taking a deep dive into The Field Museum’s vast collections, opening March 10. The pop-up, designed by Chicago-based art gallery Johalla Projects and operated by Land and Sea Dept., will feature actual specimens from the Field’s huge collection, available to guests to explore for the first time off museum grounds.

The Backroom will feature interactive programming with Field Museum professionals in the space each night on a variety of topics, ranging from space to taxidermy and more (full schedule below). All events will be free, and will give guests the rare opportunity to chat in person with leading experts in the fields of botany, zoology, geology, history, and more, all while enjoying cocktails from LSD beverage director Paul McGee. The bar will also offer late night programming until midnight following each workshop, like DJs, trivia, karaoke, and more – stay tuned for more details.